Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Bradley Thomas Excerpts

Friday 20th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) (LD)]

Many Members present will look forward to the day when it is possible for people in this country to die in peace, with dignity and at a time of their choosing. The opportunity to bring that about is closer than ever before, but it can happen only if Members vote against the Bill today. The express will of the House, as reflected in the Second Reading vote; the momentum generated by the Bill; and the support of the Prime Minister, as we understand it, to change the law have created a moment when it is possible to grasp the chance to bring in assisted dying legislation, but I warn Members that if this Bill passes, the case for assisted dying will be fatally undermined, and it will put back their cause for a generation.

I have sat through Committee and Report, listened to the oral evidence and participated in the debates. This Bill, if it passes, will be challenged in the courts. It will be subject to endless attempts to amend it in Parliament. It will be difficult to implement effectively, and ultimately it will lose the confidence of the public.

It was immensely challenging to properly debate the Bill in Committee, because we frequently found ourselves needing an understanding of medical practice or points of law that MPs are not typically expert in. We spent many hours, for example, debating whether or not the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were sufficient for someone who was making the decision to die. Of course, we consulted experts, and some said the provisions were sufficient, some said they were not. I do not believe that this particular decision is one that politicians are best placed to make.

[Bradley Thomas (Bromsgrove) (Con)]

Will the hon. Lady give way?